Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
by Taleen

It had taken what seemed ages of cold hard slogging through snow and ice to reach the peak, but before she could even draw breath she had company.

"Gabrielle," Ares glanced around the stony ledge and did not shiver in the buffeting wind. "What in Hades are you doing here?"

She'd been expecting him anytime these past three months--the time it had taken for her to return to Greece after changing her mind about Egypt. How would he take the news?

"Ares."

"I can't find that stubborn woman anywhere. Where's she hiding now?"

"Ares…" her voice cracked and a tear slid unbidden down her cheek. "I have something to tell you."

Some dire premonition made him look at her, really look at her. "Gabrielle… ?" He glanced at her waist. "Why are you wearing Xena's Chakram?"

"Ares…" She shifted the urn in her hands

The immortal's gaze registered its presence; she watched as denial filled his eyes.

"Xena… " he whispered, "No. No, not Xena--" The War God backed away to the edge of the precipice.

Gabrielle reached out her hand and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back. He didn't notice--his attention was still glued to the small black pot she held. Finally he raised his eyes to hers. "How?" he croaked. "Where?"

"Far to the East, beyond Chin." She'd answered 'where' first. Could she tell him 'how'?

"It was a thousand to one."

Ares tried to grin. "That's my girl." The grin faded. He pressed his lips to a thin line, swallowed, and ground out, "You didn't say how."

Gabrielle turned her face to the wind, let the force of it sting the tears from her eyes. "A Samurai… beheaded her."

"No," Ares refused to believe. "No." That beautiful head parted from that beautiful body? "No."

"It was war, Ares."

"I know what war is." He felt sick. He was God of War. He had always reveled in his bloody play--but it had never struck so close to home. "Did they… did they abuse the… her?"

"Yes."

The War God bared his teeth and clenched his fists. "I'll kill him. The bastard who did this. I'll kill him."

"I already did."

Surprise, and a slow reconsideration made the dark God look at her. "You were her pupil." Nodding approval, "Now you are her."

"No, Ares. I am myself. But she is with me. In spirit, at least. In my heart."

But not with me. "Why didn't she call me?"

"You know Xena, she always had to do things her way."

Ares grunted, and turned to gaze out over the countryside. "Why here?"

"I wanted to scatter her ashes." A thought occurred to her. "Ares, would you do me a favor?"

He glanced at her, eyebrows raised.

"You can fly, can't you?

"Fly?"

"Well, hover, at least."

"Hover? Any God can. What are you getting at?"

"I want you to hold me."

Some of his bravado returned, flippancy fighting to conquer his grief. "Why Gabrielle, I didn't know you cared."

"No, I mean I want you to hold me up there," she pointed skyward. Dropping her eyes to the urn she added, "I want her ashes to cover all of Greece."

"So she can continue as Greece's Mighty Protector?"

Gabrielle looked embarrassed. "Something like that."

"If you will do me one favor in return." A small blue velvet pouch appeared in his hand. "You have her Chakram. Let me have… a little of her." He gestured at the urn.

"She can't come back, Ares. Forty thousand souls--she must stay dead or it was all in vain."

"Please, Gabrielle." A muscle jumped in his cheek. He wasn't looking at her directly.

A God never asked, only took. Ares was asking.

What could it hurt? Gabrielle wrenched the top off the jar. Ares held open the little sack and created a force around it so none of the ash would go astray.

A palmful was enough. He pulled the cord tight, drew it over his head and tucked the bag inside his vest, against his heart. "I loved her," he whispered to himself.

"I know you did. We both did."

He rolled and bit his lip and looked everywhere but at her.

"I think she… cared for you too."

"Now?" he asked shortly, waving his hand. He did not want to continue this conversation. There was no point.

"As good a time as any I guess." She stepped forward hesitantly, suddenly nervous as he moved behind her. He too, seemed shy, but then his muscular arms slid around her waist. Power rolled over her, Power such as she hadn't experienced since he'd come to her after killing Eli. Before she could begin to get used to it they were airborne.

All of the land lay below her, the sea, the islands, brown Egypt at the southern rim, green Britannia to the north. A great blue ocean peeked over the earth's curve at the west. So the mapmakers were wrong--the world isn't flat, she thought in awe. And Hercules was right. She remembered Iolaus laughing about the hero's theories last time they'd met. Twenty-five years ago. She realized she was holding her breath and let it out.

Ares tightened one arm and held his other up, finger lifted to test the wind. In midair he turned them, then brought his lips close to her ear. "Now, Gabrielle. Before the wind changes."

Before she blows back in our faces.

The top came off much easier this time. Xena's ashes swirled and tore out of the jar, in a hurry to spill over the whole of Greece and beyond. Gabrielle turned her head to Ares, caught his unspoken agreement and tossed the urn. He threw a firebolt at it, turning it to a powder that quickly dissipated in the turbulent air currents.

The Olympian Prince blitzed them back to the ground, not the mountain peak it had taken her two days to reach, but the campsite she'd left below. Argo II whinnied a greeting, then dropped her head back down to the lush grass.

"Now what, Gabrielle?"

"I continue our work."

"People to save, Gods to thwart? Well -- not so many of us now."

What could she say? He'd pretty much got the essence of it.

She touched him one more time on the shoulder, and turned to her horse.

"Gabrielle?"

She glanced back at him.

"If you ever need anything--"

He had the pouch in his hand again, stroking the soft cloth with his fingers. He wasn't looking at her.

She cocked her head to one side.

The War God's dark eyes rose and met hers. "Call me." Shards of light splintered around him, and he was gone.

The Warrior Bard shook her head in bemusement and began packing up her gear.

Maybe someday she would.

End

If you enjoyed this story, please read the sequel,
Resurrection.